To facilitate retail checkout and to maintain inventory control, bar code symbols or other visible indicia have been applied to the surface of articles to provide data that can be read by a scanner. The data may be used to identify the article, its price, and other characteristics related to checkout and inventory control. Typically, a scanner includes a light source such as a laser or semiconductor device that generates a light beam. The light beam is optically modified usually by a lens to form a beam spot of a size suitable for use with the visual indicia to be read. Preferably the beam spot is approximately the same size as the minimum width between regions of different light reflectivity of the visual indicia, such as the bars and spaces of a bar code symbol.
The light beam is directed by optical components along a light path towards the article that includes a bar code symbol on its surface. A scanning component is also disposed in the light path. The scanning component may either sweep the beam spot across the symbol and trace a scan line across and past the symbol or scan the field of view of the scanner or both. The scanner also includes a photodetector that has a field of view which extends across and slightly past the symbol. The photodetector detects the light of varying intensities and generates electrical signals representative of the sequences of bars and spaces in the symbol. These electrical signals are then decoded into data, such as information about the article and its price. A clerk uses either a hand held scanner to read the bar code symbols on the articles one at a time or passes the articles over a counter top scanner one at a time. The clerk then places the articles into a shopping bag or other suitable bulk container.
Electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems have employed either reusable EAS tags or disposable EAS tags to monitor articles to prevent shoplifting and unauthorized removal of articles from store. The reusable EAS tags are normally removed from the articles before the customer exits the store. The disposable tags are generally attached to the packaging by adhesive or are disposed inside the packaging. These tags remain with the articles and must be deactivated before they are removed from the store by the customer. Deactivation devices use coils which are energized to generate a magnetic field of sufficient magnitude to render the EAS tag inactive. The deactivated tags are no longer responsive to the incident energy of the EAS system so that an alarm is not triggered.
In one type of deactivation system the checkout clerk passes the articles one at a time over a deactivation device to deactivate the tags and then places the articles into a shopping bag or other bulk container. This system employs one coil disposed horizontally within a housing. The clerk moves the tagged articles across the horizontal top surface of the housing such that the tag is disposed generally coplanar with the coil.
Another deactivation system utilizes a housing having a cavity with three sets of two coils each disposed around the cavity in respective x, y, and z axis planes, such that there is a coil located in a plane parallel to each side of the cavity and two coils disposed around the cavity with one being near the top and the other being near the bottom of the cavity. The checkout clerk places a bag or bulk container into the cavity and then places the tagged articles into the bag. After all of the articles have been placed into the bag or when the bag is full, the clerk energizes the coils to deactivate all of the EAS tags in the bag. The clerk then lifts the bag out of the cavity. This system provides deactivation of multiple tags at one time and does not require specific orientation of the tags.
Many retail establishments having high volumes find it desirable to expedite and facilitate the checkout process including the scanning of the bar code data and the deactivation of the EAS tags.